A WARNING that children’s services were in meltdown was among the responses to a Unison council survey released this week.
The survey found children’s services staff were among the most unhappy at the Isle of Wight Council, but workers across departments complained of bullying, low morale, poor management, costly and flawed computer systems and understaffing.
It was carried out after staff raised concerns about council management at Unison’s AGM earlier this year.
On Tuesday, council boss Steve Beynon issued a special response to staff regarding the survey, criticising Unison’s decision to make its findings public.
Of the 1,402 forms sent out there were 394 replies, representing a 28 per cent response. Overall, 38 per cent said they had no confidence. That went against the council’s own staff survey earlier this year, completed by 1,000 employees, which showed trust in senior management had increased, according to a spokesman.
In children’s services, where respone was 48 per cent, half said they had no confidence in senior management, with some calling for a vote of no confidence.
In the Unison survey, one worker said children’s services appeared to be in meltdown and called on Unison to draw attention to the situation before the Island became like Harringay, the authority at the centre of the Baby P scandal.
Branch secretary Mark Cheverton said staff were concerned about a lack of support and training for new computer programmes, the national Integrated Children’s System and local £5.5million Business System Improvement Project.
He said, despite greater effort to communicate with workers and the unions, there was a perception among some staff that senior managers did not know what was happening on the ground.
Mr Beynon said the survey only represented the views of a small number of staff but the council had a responsibility to them and would discuss the findings with Unison.
He said the council recognised restructuring in children’s services had been unsettling but managers were working hard to address staff concerns and were holding regular forums to discuss the issues.
Reporter: ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk